DEVELOPMENT OF A SOFTWARE-HARDWARE COMPLEX FOR AVALANCHE HAZARD MONITORING IN EAST KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

For many safety-related applications, such as hazard mapping or road management, well-documented avalanches are crucial. Currently, despite the variety of research areas in this field, the available data is mostly limited to isolated locations where they are collected by observers in the field. High-quality monitoring of avalanche-prone areas will ensure the safety of people, transport, and tourist infrastructure. The development of our own automated avalanche hazard monitoring system contributes to the development of monitoring systems for natural disasters and the environment in the Republic of Kazakhstan. In this paper we propose a ground-based measurement system that will allow for quasi-permanent monitoring of snow depth distribution in avalanche zones with high spatial and temporal resolution. The system includes: a basic snow avalanche station (temperature, humidity and pressure sensors, a wind sensor, a data logger and devices for autonomous operation), a temperature snow-measuring rail, an API (application programming interface) service for saving weather and climatic parameters to a database, and a web interface for monitoring avalanche hazards. The installation is designed for autonomous operation, recording changes in weather data and snow depth in the avalanche zone. It is installed in the East Kazakhstan region. Using the first test datasets, we analyze the specific strengths and weaknesses of the developed system. All information will eventually be provided to specialists of the East Kazakhstan Territorial Operational Management of the State Institution Kazselezashchita, akimats of East Kazakhstan region and districts of the region and the population.